Switched!
by shiny.bubbles
Summary: Rikku and Paine have their differences but seriously, when it comes down to it, they are really more alike than what they take credit for.. RxR


**A/N:** I'm back, and am utterly disgusted at my writing of this story.. (scratch that, _all_ of my stories)  
So what I'm going to do is retouch a few bits and changing the plot just a tad. Seriously, nothing will change but I am just simply appalled at my writing here.. gah! Please enjoy the renewed version :)  
oh, and this story was never intended to be a 'tikku' pairing. Tidus and Rikku, in this story, are merely just best friends.

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**Chapter 1: Why me?**

Paine searched her room for her lost lucky charm. It was a silver bracelet with a violet bead in the middle and it meant everything. Her mother, who had died when she was only four, gave it to Paine as a last thing to remember her by. Paine clenched her fists angrily and growled in frustration.

'Damnit! Where are you?!' A sudden recollection of seeing Rikku in her room earlier that day came to Paine's mind. 'You _Blonde_!'

Paine stormed out of her dorm, quickly pushing through the crowd of people in the passageway. It was midnight already and Paine questioned as to why people were still hanging about.

'Go to bed!' She shouted at them as she passed.  
..And they obliged, all grumbling to move to their own dorms. Paine was an ass.

Paine finally arrived at Rikku's door and threw the door open. 'RIKKU YOU-'

'Here!' Rikku exclaimed practically bouncing over to Paine at her door, 'What's up _your_ bum, Dr. P?' She chuckled slightly not seeming to notice the amount of steam fuming out of Paine's ears.

'YOU!'

Paine trudged forward, taking Rikku by surprise.  
The little Al-Bhed looked stunned for a moment but her face quickly changed to confusion. 'Me?'

'Give it back.' Paine breathed, her voice tight and seeming to appear on the brink of breaking.

The blonde head shook her head making Paine furthermore angered. 'P, I don't get what your-'

'BLOODY FARPLANE RIKKU!' She yelled, suddenly frightening the girl, 'JUST GIVE ME THE DAMNED BRACELET!'

'I don't have it..' Rikku whispered in a tiny voice, looking down to the floor as if the wooden floor boards suddenly fascinated her.

The crimson eyed warrior glared at Rikku menacingly. 'Don't make me do something I'd regret later, dumb blonde..'

Rikku's jaw dropped open in shock. '_What_ did you just call me?!' She spluttered, staring disbelievingly at Paine's furious face.

The goth-like girl suddenly smirked, coming right in front of the Al Bhed's face. 'You _dumb_ blonde..' She repeated in amusement.

The 'dumb' blonde breathed in hard, exhaling out whilst tightening her fists. 'You did _not_, just say that Paine.. take it back.' Rikku muttered, eyeing Paine with pure anger in her emerald eyes.

'Why?' The warrior asked innocently, 'It's true isn't it?'

Rikku felt a stab in her heart. Her own friend.. her best friend. Never..  
Even if it was a joke or not, it hurt Rikku, it really did.

'GET OUT!' Rikku cried, feeling tears forming in the back of her eyes, 'GET OUT NOW!' She pushed the warrior towards the door but Paine didn't budge, unfazed by the Al-Bhed.

'Not until I get it back!' Paine snarled angrily. She looked around the room trying to find any signs of it.

'Get out..' Rikku whispered under her breath but making it loud enough for Paine to hear.

'Oh, Rikku!' Paine exclaimed, her voice dripping with sarcasm, 'Your breaking my heart! Don't you want me to stay?'

'STOP MOCKING ME, YOU-'

'You _what_?!' Paine interjected in a snappy tone also moving her hand to her ear, exaggeratedly making a show of wanting to hear more clearly. 'What you gonna say next, blondie?'

'I hate you..' Rikku whispered. She exited the room before Paine could reply.

The warrior was shocked, not because the girl stupidly left her own room but because Rikku sounded like she actually meant it. Paine looked at the empty doorway in slight worry and annoyance, the blonde head was a pain in the ass but still she was one of the warrior's best friends.

_Yevon, what'd I do?_ The warrior thought anxiously.

She sat on Rikku's bed, pondering. She waited awhile longer for Rikku's return but as she checked the Al-Bhed's digital clock it read _12:21am_. Paine needed her sleep. She sighed, getting up and walking back to her dorm. She locked the door behind her and practically crashed onto her bed.  
A tiny _clink_ reverberated off her walls making Paine suddenly check as to what made the noise. Looking down to the floor, her lucky charm was there and shining in all its glory. Paine felt a pang of guilt hit her, feeling the need to apologise to Rikku but her pride merely stopping her. She sighed again, turning over into her bed as she quickly fell asleep. The day was long.

**Rikku's side.**

The blonde head walked out from the bathroom cubicle. Her eyes were stinging from all the crying she'd just shed the past twenty minutes. She looked into the mirror and nearly gagged, her eyebags were swollen like immensely swollen. Rikku prodded them, feeling the lumpiness.

She felt so pathetic for crying over something that she heard a million times before. _But not from her.._ Rikku thought miserably. Paine was too mature to say such meaningless words about her but then again she had a good reason to right? Rikku shook her head, turning away from her reflection. She needed to sleep now, she could deal with Paine tomorrow.. or maybe Tidus could do it for her? No, Rikku had to fight her own fights. She couldn't always depend on him.  
Rikku slowly made her way out of the bathroom and up the stairs to the first level of dorms which her room was in. Carefully, she made her way down the long passageway to her room.

'Rikku?' The thief jumped a metre in the air as she caught sight of a ghostly white gown. Rikku had to bite her tongue from screaming.

'Rikku? Is that you?'

The Al-Bhed exhaled in relief. 'Yuna! Oh, chocobo.. It's only you.'

'I'm sorry, Rikku! I apologise if I scared-' The brunette suddenly caught sight of Rikku's swollen eyes and raised her eyebrow slightly.

Rikku turned her head away from Yuna's piercing stare.

'Why have you cried?' Yuna whispered gently.

The thief laughed nervously and looked onto the non-existent watch on her wrist. 'Oh, well, look at the time! Better go!' The blonde bolted to her room at top speed, leaving Yuna in a not-so pleased state.

The Al-Bhed let out a relieved sigh as she got to her room. She shut the door behind her and slid to the ground, back against the door.

'What am I gonna do?' She asked herself worriedly, putting her head between her knees.

'About what?'

The girl jerked her head up and caught sight of a dirty blonde headed guy with an eye patch. He was sprawled over her very own bed and smirking at her seductively whilst stroking the spare spot on where he didn't occupy the space. She furiously got up, coming over to pull him by the ear.

'OW! Rikku, _wait!_ Rikku! _Ow_.. could you _please_-'

'Get out! Gippal, out! Banjand(Pervert)!'

'Okayy! Just get your fingers off my ear!'

Rikku groaned in frustration and shoved him out the door. He stumbled forward nearly hitting the wall in front of him, he stopped himself and quickly recovered to stand upright. Gippal turned towards the thief who was icily giving him one of her annoyed looks.

'Aww.. come on, Cid's girl!' Gippal cooed as he leaned onto the doorway and gave her a hurt look, 'Don't you want me too?'

Rikku pretended to think then smiled suddenly at the hopeful Gippal. 'Of course I do! I want you soo bad!'

'_Really?_'

'In your _dreams_! Now get the farplane out before I call Tidus!'

Gippal's eyes widened in shock and he bolted down the hallway before you could say _holy spira!_

The thief smiled to herself, satisfied with her work. Rikku brushed her hands together before slamming the door shut and went back over to her cosy-looking bed. She settled herself inside the yellow sheets and snuggled up to her yellow colored moogle. She felt so drowsy.. the Al-Bhed already felt like she was slipping into unconsciousness..

Out of the blue, knocking rang on her door. Rikku groaned aloud in frustration, when could she get her beauty sleep? She just needed sleep for chocobo's sake! She glared at the door and put up fake claws, making a freaky deranged face. The knocking persisted, seemingly not affected by the girl's deformed facial. Rikku groaned finally coming over to the door and opened it up.

'Brother?' She asked in confusion, 'Fryd yna oui tuehk rana(What are you doing here)?' Sure, she deserved her beauty sleep but Brother never visited her dorm. Never.

Rikku watched him walk inside her room without any invitation. The thief shook her head. _No respect!_ She thought in annoyance, whilst shutting the door closed.

Her brother, ironically called 'brother', walked over to her bed and sat down nervously. Rikku sensed something was wrong, the look on her brother's face did not seem to calm the growing anxiety that was forming in her gut.

'Iss.. Rikku, E haat du damm oui cusadrehk( Umm.. Rikku, I need to tell you something)..' He began fumbling with her sheets and avoided any eye-contact.

'Brother?' Rikku inquired apprehensively as she eyed his distressed face, 'Fryd tet oui tu(What did you do)?!'

He bit his lip as if he was contemplating of what to say. Brother swallowed down a large lump in his throat which made Rikku, who saw all this, raise an eyebrow.

'Hudrehk(Nothing)!' He screamed then ran out the door before Rikku could get a word out.

_What in Spira was that all about?_ The thief thought in confusion. She went over to her door, again closing it for the millionth time. Rikku shook her head but shrugged off the feeling that Brother had done something wrong. The thought of sleep crowded her mind making her walk to her bed and gently slip inside.

**Next Day..  
**

'Rikku.. Rikku.. ZAAW! PMUHTEA, FYGA IB YMNAYTO( JEEZ! BLONDIE, WAKE UP ALREADY)!'

Paine opened her eyes tiredly catching sight of a grinning Gippal, who was freakishly hovering over her. 'What the- GET OUT! GET OUT!' _My voice? It's different? _Paine thought in astonishment, sitting up straight. _And why is he in my room!? _She suddenly looked around.

'Why am I in here? Why did you bring me to Rikku's?' Paine seethed angrily and glared at Gippal who was now sitting on the bed right next her.

He gave a confused but also worried look. 'Uhh, Rikku? Have you gone crazy?' Gippal asked in disbelief.

Paine closed her eyes, letting out a sigh of frustration. '_Just_. Get. _Out_.' She breathed trying with all her might to keep her voice under control.

'OK, OK!' Gippal huffed, standing up, 'Catch ya later Cid's girl!'

'GET OUT!' She yelled grabbing Rikku's favourite yellow star pillow and aimed it at the cocky guy's head. He quickly ran out the door as the pillow zoomed out to him.

'OW!'

She smirked. _Bullseye!_ Paine got up, still worn out from the day before and rubbed her eyes tiredly. The warrior still didn't get why Gippal was calling her Rikku and why she was in her room too. _He's probably playing a joke on me_.. Paine thought, not in the least bit amused.

Her head felt groggy, depriving her from thinking straight. Paine swore aloud as she got up from Rikku's bed. She felt confused for a second, hated the feeling and shoved it aside. The warrior looked into Rikku's full length mirror and her eyes went wide. She stumbled back falling to the floor.

'No!' Paine squeaked, staring at her reflection with wide emerald wondering eyes, 'NO!!'

_**.end chapter 1.  
**_

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**A/N:** once again. I beg all of you to review.. it's been while since I've done any story.  
-swallows- i appreciate anything, whether its a simple "cant wait next chapter" or a flaming constructive criticism. All are welcome :) bare with me.. the next chapter may be a bit rusty.


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